Poinsettia plant &#34;490 Pink&#34;

ABSTRACT

Poinsettia `490 PINK` is a new cultivar, distinguished by pink bracts and intense dark green foliage with self-branching characteristics. `490 PINK` is a color sport of the dark red bracted `490` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825) with the same early flowering response and cultural requirements. The new plant produces a very desirable branched flowering pot plant. The new plant is resistant to epinasty after being confined to shipping containers and recovers rapidly if the plant does become epinastic. The post-production foliage and bract retention is excellent even under low light intensities in the consumer&#39;s home.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This new poinsettia cultivar originated as an induced pink bracted sportof 490 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825) in my greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif.It was induced by irradiation of 100 vegetative plants of `490` with4000 rads of radiation, randomly applied to the whole plant underconditions which were not lethal to the plant. Of the 100 plantsirradiated, one plant exhibited pink bracts. The mutant plant exhibitedearly flowering, self branching, pink flower bracts and dark greenfoliage; traits which help distinguish it from other poinsettiacultivars, and seem to make it a desirable plant for commercialgreenhouse production.

`490 Pink` differs from the parent plant `490` in its distinctlydifferent pink bract color. In contrast, parent `490` exhibits dark redbracts. Otherwise, the two plants are similar in size, height, leafshape, and other characteristics.

After selection, `490 PINK` was vegetatively reproduced from stemcuttings for test purposes in Encinitas, Calif. By subjecting clones ofthis plant to successive generations of vegetative propagation, it wasdemonstrated that the distinctive characteristics of `490 PINK` heldtrue from generation to generation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

Poinsettia `490 PINK` is illustrated in the accompanying colorphotograph. The upper photo is a side view of 3 single stem plants perpot in full flower. Evidence of self branching can be seen in theflowering axillary branches beneath the upper canopy of bracts. Thelower photo is a top view of the same plants showing flower and bractformation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of this new poinsettia asobserved in Encinitas, Calif., U.S.A. during December 1992. Observationswere recorded from flowering plants, grown as 3 single stem plants perpot. The pot was 14 cm. in diameter and 11 cm. in height. Colordesignations are compared to the 1986 edition of R.H.S. Colour Chart,first published in 1966 by The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England.

THE PLANT

Origin: Sport of `490` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825), induced throughirradiation of vegetative plants with 4,000 rads of radiation.

Classification:

Botanic.--Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Common name.--Poinsettia.

Cultivar name.--490 Pink.

Form: Shrub.

Height: Short.

Growth habit: As a single stemmed plant, upright and short withself-branching side shoots. The application of a chemical growthretardant may not be needed to restrict height for commercial pot plantproduction. I observed 3 unpinched plants in a pot with an overallheight of 34 cm. and an overall width of 46 cm. The bract diameter ofindividual flowers was 32 cm.

Branching: Axillary branches will develop and terminate in a flowerwithout pinching. However, it is usually desirable to pinch `490 Pink`and remove all terminal dominance. Then, all axillary branches willdevelop uniformly and at a faster rate.

Growth rate: Rooting of stem cuttings occurs in 12-18 days underintermittent mist.

Flowering: The plant will flower in about eight weeks under continuouslong night conditions and night temperatures of about 16-18 degrees C.Like its parent (`490`), `490 Pink` will be in full bloom inmid-November in the northern hemisphere under natural daylengthconditions. `490 Pink` flowers earlier than most known poinsettiasbecause flower induction seems to occur in mid-September, about 10 daysearlier than normal.

Foliage: At flowering, plants were observed with about 15 uniformly darkgreen leaves, one leaf per node. The leaves were of medium size, leafblades typically being about 11-13 cm. long and about 8 cm. wide withleaf petioles about 6 cm. long. Between the green leaves and the trueflower bracts were 4 transitional bracts from the uppermost nodes oneach stem. These leaf/bracts were green but changed to pink as theflowers matured. At maturity, one or two of these leaf/bracts wereneither completely green nor completely pink as seen in the photograph.

Leaf shape.--Typical leaves are generally ovate with obtuse bases andacuminate tips. Leaf margins are entire or slightly lobed with 1 or 2indentations on each side of the leaf blade.

Color.--Upper side -- Dark green, darker than RHS 139A. Under side --Green, lighter than but near RHS 147A.

Bracts: Generally there were 15-18 pink bracts of various sizessubtending the cyathia. The primary bracts have blades typically 15-17cm. long and 11-12 cm. wide with petioles about 5 cm. long.

Shape.--Primary bracts are ovate with acute bases and acuminate tips andweakly lobed with 1 small indentation on either side of the bract.Secondary bracts are elliptic and have entire margins.

Color.--Upper side -- Pink. The smaller secondary bracts are bright pinknear RHS 53C. The older primary bracts are faded to near RHS 54A,however, the bract veins retain the deeper pink (RHS 53C) on the uppersurface making the venation more prominent on the larger bracts. Underside -- Pink. Smaller secondary bracts near RHS 53D. Larger bractsnearer RHS 54C.

Flowers:

Cynthia.--Generally, 16 cyathia (flowers) were present when the plantwas in full bloom. Each cyathium was about 7 mm long and 6 mm wide,green in color, and fringed with red at the distal end. A yellow nectarcup protrudes from the side of each cyanthium. The flower pedicel isalso green and about 4 mm in length. The stamens protruding from thecyathia are red. The anthers are bifurcate with copious yellow pollen.Cyathia last for approximately three weeks after the plant is in fullbloom.

Nectar exudate.--Abundant.

Seed formation.--Self-incompatible.

Fertility.--Not observed.

Post production `490 PINK` is resistant to epinasty after being confinedto shipping containers and recovers rapidly if the plant does becomeepinastic. The foliage and bract retention is excellent even under lowlight intensities in the consumer's home.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia cultivar,substantially as herein shown and described, distinguished by itsintense dark green foliage, pink bracts and epinasty resistance.